Capitola went wrong way

I voted against the gun ordinance at our Capitola City Council meeting because I do not support any more gun dealers in our small town. We have two, and that is enough in our 2 ½-square-mile city. I do not support having gun shows in Capitola, and many members in the public have expressed this position to me. I also supported the requirement that guns in homes be in a locked container. This was removed in the final motion, as was the recommendation of limiting gun dealerships to two, and prohibiting gun shows. I'm sorry the council did not have a unanimous position on this important topic, but I think the majority went in the wrong direction.

Mayor Stephanie Harlan, Capitola

Scharf pro sequester?

I read Jeffrey Scharf's recent column in the business section and thought I was mistaken -- it must have been the Opinion section. Scharf's comments on the sequester and its effect on jobs was clearly biased. I am tired of hearing how government funding has nothing to do with private sector jobs. That mantra is from pure ignorance. I worked in the federal government for 13 years in both health and human services and in the Navy. Their primary work had to do with overseeing contracts with the private sector. They put them out for (pre-Cheney) competitive bidding, and they worked to ensure the public's money was frugally and well spent. The

government encouraged companies that would innovate and provided expertise, in the Navy, it was engineering, and in HHS it was in health particularly in recruiting for underserved areas. These jobs are working on projects for the common good, not corporate profit. The arrogant push for sequester cuts is another example of the Republican interest in profits over people.

Linda Milgate, Santa Cruz

Benefits of a balanced diet

In reference to the Sentinel article on March 9 about the UC Santa Cruz Nutrition Symposium, Ms. Hite's contention that "eating mostly plants is a problematic mandate," and its implication that ingesting too many grains are the cause of obesity is not entirely accurate. Among other contributing factors to weight gain are stress levels, hormone imbalances, digestive disturbances, inadequate sleep and lack of exercise, to name a few. Increasing scientific evidence suggests that a balanced diet consisting of whole grains, healthy fats, plenty of fiber rich fruits and vegetables, and protein from plant sources can sustain an individual who is conscientious about intake of nutrients. There is also the choice of moderate consumption of grass-fed meat to supplement one's plant-based choices. Plant-based proponents almost always advocate for the inclusion of mostly plant-based, non-processed, non-hormone tampered, pesticide-free food on the table.

Donna H. Seelbach, Aptos

Explaining vs. excusing

The community is debating the drug problem. We need to be aware of how we frame it. While drug addiction can be explained in sociological and genetic predisposition terms, we need to be careful not to equate explaining with excusing. We can explain psychopathic killers, but we never excuse them. The greater Santa Cruz area is a community, and as such we have the right to define and probably refine the minimum conditions for membership. We already do that with murders, robbers and rapists by arresting them. We need to tell the addicts engaging in criminal behavior that we have programs to help them clean up and reintegrate. If they are unwilling or unable to do so, they are not welcome in our community.

Meade Fischer, Watsonville

DeCinzo draws the truth

While growing up, I enjoyed the intricate drawings by the Mad Magazine artists. There were so many things to see! Later as I got older I enjoyed the "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers," another great cartoon strip of ornate and well-carved tales. These artists reflect the truth of society through their own shocked sensitivities, not the public ennui of the New Yorker's lapdog cartoonists. Long live DeCinzo!

Pete Jussel, Santa Cruz

Thanks for Goulet followup

Thank you Sentinel for following up on Jeremy Goulet's background. He obviously had a history of being a danger to society. As is the case with many criminals with violent backgrounds, though, they have through our justice system all the protections in place to allow them to go out and do what they do best. It must be so frustrating for our police officers to go through the process of chase, capture ... only to see the same individual on the street within days. The system beyond arrest is in dire need of some serious attention.

Marinka Willig, Felton